Trace and whiffletree guard



(No Model.) L. A. LASHER.

TRACE AND- WHIFFLETREE GUARD.

N0. 369,064. Patented Aug. 30 1887.

LEMUEL A. LASHER, OF NAPA CITY, CALIFORNIA.

TRACE AND WHIFFLETREE GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part. of Letters Patent N0. 369,064, dated August 30, 1887. Application filed April 30, 1887. Serial No. 236,720. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEMUEL A. LASHER, of Napa City, Napa county, State of California, have invented an Improvement in WVhiffletree-Guards; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to a device to be applied to the ends of whiflletrees and connecting links or traces, so as to prevent injury to the trees and vines where plows, barrows, cultivators, and similar implements are being drawn among the trees.

It consists of an elongated cup-shaped shoe or cap, within one end of which the end of the whiffletree is received, while the connectingtraces pass out through the other end, and, in combination with this device, of a spring or coiled-wire fastening surrounding the end of the whiffletree, extending along within turnedover flanges oi the guard, and pressing upon the trace, so as to hold it in contact with the opposite end of the guard and prevent it dropping out.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of my invention, Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of my device, showing the interior guard with the, coiled elastic wire, the trace, and connecting-link. Fig. 2 is a section of the same.

A is a hollow tapering guard, which is preferably made of metal, semi-cylindrical in shape, and'open at one end where the end of the whiflletree B enters it and stands at right angles with the guard, while the other end is tapered and flattened, so as to form a rounded point, as shown at O.

D is the trace, which is usually formed of leather, and is connected with the end of the whiffletree by means of links E, as shown. The guard A has flanges F, turned atright angles along its inner edge, so as to extend a short distance toward each other, and within these flanges an elastic spring-wire, G, extends from one end to the other of the guard. The rear end of the guard is left open, so that this spring may be easily introduced and removed.

lapping end of the wire may be bent so as to form a loop, K, by which the spring can be bent sufficiently to release the catch and allow the spring to be withdrawn from the guard when desired, so that the whole device is easilytaken to pieces or put together. By this construction the end of the whiffletree is held in place by the coil at the rear end of the guard, and by means of the elastic spring at the front end the trace is pressed against the tip ofthe guard and always'held in proper place and prevented from dropping down when the traces are slack or for other reason. The outside curved and smooth surface serves to prevent chafing and wear of trees or vines where the device is passing.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In the trace and whiffletree guard herein described, the combination of an elongated semi cylindrical cap with an elastic wire spring having a coil at one end, within which the end of the whiffletree is received, and having the other end curved to correspond with the flat end of the cap,between which and the spring the trace passes, substantially as herein described.

2. The elongated semi-cylindrical guard having the inwardly-turned flanges upon the inner edges, in combination with a spring extending along within these flanges, having one end coiled to receive the end of the whiffletree and the other pressing upon the trace, which passes between it and the tip of the guard, substantially as herein described.

3. The elongated semi-cylindrical guard,

open at the rear end, having the inwardly-- turned flanges upon its inner edges, with the The rear end of the spring is formed in a holding-notch formed in one of said flanges,

in combination with the elastic spring-wire, In witness whereof I have hereunto set my having one end coiled to receive the whiffle hand. tree end and the other end curved so as to press the trace between itself and the corre- LEMUEL A. LASHER. 5 spending end of the guard, and the projeetion from the side of the spring, which fits in \Vitnesses:

the notch 0f theflange, substantially as and H. NOURSE, for the purpose herein described. H. 0. LEE. 

